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best glue for UHMW plastic
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Author:  Greenman [ Sat May 05, 2012 5:37 pm ]
Post subject:  best glue for UHMW plastic

Hi- I am able to buy plastic scraps at my local surplus store. But I have to take what I get I want to make some jigs and would like to laminate some pieces. What is the best glue for the white UHMW? Thanks

Author:  klooker [ Sat May 05, 2012 9:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

Contact cement. Apply to both surfaces, allow to dry then press together.

I put UHMW strips (or maybe Delrin?) on the base of my router table & they haven't come off after almost 20 years. Actually, I think it's been 20 years as of this year but it make me nauseous to think about it.

Kevin Looker

Author:  Steve Saville [ Sun May 06, 2012 12:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

Todd Stock wrote:
...... UHME-PE threads and hold fasteners in adequate thicknesses........ I prefer Delrin, with it's higher strength and greater ability to hold threaded fasteners......
Here's a good tip - When threading plastics like UHMWPE, it is best to use UNF threads instead of UNC. It holds the thread much better. In other words -use 4-48 instead of 4-40, 10-32 instead of 10-24 etc.

Author:  Tai Fu [ Sun May 06, 2012 1:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

I make my jigs out of scrap plywood because they're always around, and because I have no clue where to find UMHW plastic in Taiwan. I can find acrylics though.

Author:  Greenman [ Sun May 06, 2012 10:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

Thanks for all the input. Apparently there is a company here that makes plastic cutting boards and my surplus guy gets it when he can. I have some scrap corian and I was wondering if it is any different than the kind used for nuts and saddles. This came from a cut off from a counter top. I met a woman at a woodworking show that makes fancy cutting boards out of scrap corian and she said she uses ca. What is corian anyway?

Author:  Stuart Gort [ Sun May 06, 2012 10:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

You can also get acrylic transfer adhesive which will hold it well.

The bond increases with age with acrylic adhesive.

Author:  Bob Garrish [ Sun May 06, 2012 7:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

Gluing any sort of polyethylene (PE, HDPE, UHMW (which is really UHMWPE)) tends to be a bad idea.

Acrylic glues well with acetone, or with a mix of acrylic and acetone if you need to fill gaps.

Corian is essentially acrylic, just with dyes and some fillers added, the only other ingredients besides dyes and pigments are to make it fire/smoke resistant. It's a trade name, so it's definitely all the same stuff.

Author:  Darrel Friesen [ Sun May 06, 2012 8:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

Heat fusion is the only way to glue olefin plastics like polyethylene and develop 100% of the strength of the parent material. Any adhesive used would rely on a toothed mechanical bond, which in lower stress situations, would likely be enough.

Author:  npalen [ Mon May 07, 2012 5:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

Need to machine miniature dovetails in the UHMW surface(s) to be bonded. :D

Author:  hugh.evans [ Tue May 08, 2012 1:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

Polyethylene is used as a release paper for adhesives. Techniques such as corona treatment only make a bad situation better, and bond strength will rarely exceed 200 psi. Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) are among the only types capable of such a bond but are, again, weak.

Author:  Eric Reid [ Tue May 08, 2012 2:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: best glue for UHMW plastic

hugh.evans wrote:
Polyethylene is used as a release paper for adhesives. Techniques such as corona treatment only make a bad situation better, and bond strength will rarely exceed 200 psi. Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) are among the only types capable of such a bond but are, again, weak.


Hugh--I'm glad to see that you're still here. I appreciate all the hands on experience that preceded your post ( I was going to chime in , and say that double stick tape works fairly well ), but I was left wondering if there was some magic trick that none of us knew about. Sounds like there isn't. 200 psi. would be plenty for most shop jigs, but shear creep is the limitation I can't get around. I'm guessing that Filippo has it right: bolt it down.

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